{Hermit Note: As Anarcho-Tyranny get’s exponentially worse here in FUSA, events like this in Central and South America are worthy of study for the Armed Civilian as they show the end-result of when a State’s Law Enforcement and Legal System fail and Criminal Insurgencies began to take root. Be sure to keep an eye on Central American Gang activity in FUSA as they are one of the primary PROXIES being used to usher in The Great Replacement.}
In Rio de Janeiro, one of Brazil’s biggest and most iconic cities, the balance of power may be shifting from militias to one of the city’s oldest criminal groups.
While fighting intensified in 2022, the Red Command (Comando Vermelho – CV), a notorious gang with roots in Rio’s prison system, has recently increased its efforts to reclaim territory from the militias, a powerful network of paramilitary-style organizations that has held sway over many of the city’s poorest neighborhoods for at least a decade.
In June, the militia-dominated neighborhood of Rio das Pedras endured daily attacks by the Red Command as it tried to take over the area. Residents reported widespread extortion and constant gunfire, as the militias allegedly set fires to block the gang’s advance and prevent it from seizing the neighborhood.
The Red Command has now seized control over at least three neighborhoods in Rio that were previously under militia control, according to O Globo, and it has been fighting to secure another four, including Rio das Pedras.
Despite losing about 20% of their territory over the past two years, the militias remain deeply entrenched, controlling over 60% of the city due to their powerful political and institutional connections, according to Brazilian academic Carolina Grillo, who studies criminal dynamics in the region.
“We saw a decrease in armed territorial control, especially outside the favelas, and it was the militias that suffered the greatest losses,” Grillo told InSight Crime.
Yet, this does not imply that militias have disappeared from these areas. Rather, they continue to operate, albeit more discreetly, without exerting direct control, Grillo says.
